Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Been looking for blog fodder inspiration in my Master List, and I got bupkis. There is no new gun acquisition sparking me up aside from my perrenial .45 carbine jones. I went from "AR that fires from greasegun mags!" and back to Kriss Karbine, now. Even with the Glock Mags. I need to try that Kriss at a range.

I am still interested in tricking out the M1A a bit more with a optics. Probably forward mounted EOTech. I wonder if a wobbly rear magnification swing-aside scope in conjunction with a red dot would work like that? I could mount the red dot on a fore end scout type rail, and since the magnifier doesn't have to be precise the receiver rails that go with M1As aren't the best for a scope platform. Simple way to add some capability.

Anyway, it's probably for the best, me not itching for a new boomstick or otherwise. I don't have a lot of spare cash, really, lying around for expensive guns OR firearm accessories.

Monday, August 29, 2011

I mentioned how I foolishly forgot to replace my truck BoB after vacation. That got me thinking. It was a quake, and my truck was in the rickety parking garage. Assuming massage damage to my office in a more severe quake, but not enough to kill me, and the garage pancaking on top of my vehicle... What resources do I have to get the 25 miles back home via shanks mare?

Well, my work shoes are Doc Martens, and they wear like iron. They'll do just fine and are probably better than other shoes I own. (my feet are notoriously hard to get good shoes for.) I have water bottles at my desk and a snack area where I can raid granola bars and crackers and such. In my desk I have matches. Pen knife in my pocket.

Hmm. Maybe I need a mini BoB at my desk for quakes and firedrills. Something small so I can tote the water bottles and a ziplock bag or two to keep stuff dry. Extra layers for winter. A flashlight. Mini-poncho. Multitool could be good too. Ooo, terlet paper. That's always a crowd-pleaser.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

And an odd one. I dreamt that I woke up and multiple other bloggers were posting on topics I had in the queue. And covering the same ground I was. It was going to look like I plagiarised their posts, even though I had written my post a day or more before seeing theirs.

I'm enough of a hack as it is. I don't need my dreams making it worse.

Friday, August 26, 2011

What is the FBI thinking? The obvious stonewalling going on over the Gun Runner scandal is terribly shortsighted of them. The proper response is to disinfect the whole thing with sunlight, purge the folks that came up with the boneheaded manuever, no matter how high it goes, and start to heal their severly injured credibility. This is asinine that obstruction occurred for more than a week or two. What are they thinking? More and more people are going to be suspicious and uncooperative.

Add this to the depravations of decades by the ATF (now a subsidiary of the DoJ, which controls the FBI).
Add this to the execution of a CCW guy outside a Costco by the local 5-0
Add this to the Canton Ohio patrolman threatening to promote himself to an angry, roidy, version of Judge Dredd (and Stallone was pretty roidy...)
Add this to the serial molesters at the TSA, not even kissing us first before having their way with us.

At the very least, the FBI should be concerned about their carefully cultivate PR going down the terlet. Why aren't the honest FBI types up in arms over this fiasco? If I were them I'd offer up a few scapegoats in the Bureau, including the AG, and then sell the majority of the ATF down the river just to preserve my rep. If I was an FBI cynic, at least.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

JayG's meme (or I saw it there first). Highlight the ones you have read, in bold. And now you have a shopping list. Red ones are ones at the top of the queue that I need to rectify, purchase-wise. Should probably add more Vonnegut and Bradbury, too. The ones in blue I'll avoid for various stated reasons. 32 read on the list. A third. I am 33% NPR totebag drone that doesn't pledge donations. The gummint took care of my NPR 'donations' from me.

The NPR's Top 100 Science Fiction and Fantasy novels with the ones I have read in bold: 1. The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, by J.R.R. Tolkien 2. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
3. Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card4. The Dune Chronicles, by Frank Herbert5. A Song Of Ice And Fire Series, by George R. R. Martin (on TV) 6. 1984, by George Orwell7. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury 8. The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov
9. Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
10. American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
11. The Princess Bride, by William Goldman 12. The Wheel Of Time Series, by Robert Jordan (too rapey)13. Animal Farm, by George Orwell (don't need to read, absorbed via cultural osmosis)14. Neuromancer, by William Gibson 15. Watchmen, by Alan Moore 16. I, Robot, by Isaac Asimov17. Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein18. The Kingkiller Chronicles, by Patrick Rothfuss 19. Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut20. Frankenstein, by Mary Shelley(tried and failed) 21. Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep?, by Philip K. Dick 22. The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (feminist dystopian wish fulfillment and how they see all conservatives, methinks) 23. The Dark Tower Series, by Stephen King 24. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Arthur C. Clarke25. The Stand, by Stephen King 26. Snow Crash, by Neal Stephenson 27. The Martian Chronicles, by Ray Bradbury
28. Cat’s Cradle, by Kurt Vonnegut
29. The Sandman Series, by Neil Gaiman 30. A Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess (tried and failed) 31. Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein 32. Watership Down, by Richard Adams(tried and failed) 33. Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffrey (tried and failed) 34. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress, by Robert Heinlein 35. A Canticle For Leibowitz, by Walter M. Miller 36. The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells 37. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, by Jules Verne 38. Flowers For Algernon, by Daniel Keys39. The War Of The Worlds, by H.G. Wells 40. The Chronicles Of Amber, by Roger Zelazny
41. The Belgariad, by David Eddings42. The Mists Of Avalon, by Marion Zimmer Bradley (tried and failed) 43. The Mistborn Series, by Brandon Sanderson 44. Ringworld, by Larry Niven45. The Left Hand Of Darkness, by Ursula K. LeGuin 46. The Silmarillion, by J.R.R. Tolkien(tried and failed) 47. The Once And Future King, by T.H. White
48. Neverwhere, by Neil Gaiman
49. Childhood’s End, by Arthur C. Clarke
50. Contact, by Carl Sagan
51. The Hyperion Cantos, by Dan Simmons
52. Stardust, by Neil Gaiman
53. Cryptonomicon, by Neal Stephenson 54. World War Z, by Max Brooks
55. The Last Unicorn, by Peter S. Beagle 56. The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman57. Small Gods, by Terry Pratchett
58. The Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant, The Unbeliever, by Stephen R. Donaldson
59. The Vorkosigan Saga, by Lois McMaster Bujold 60. Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett61. The Mote In God’s Eye, by Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle 62. The Sword Of Truth, by Terry Goodkind (or is this the rape-y one?)63. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy
64. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, by Susanna Clarke
65. I Am Legend, by Richard Matheson
66. The Riftwar Saga, by Raymond E. Feist 67. The Shannara Trilogy, by Terry Brooks (tried and failed) 68. The Conan The Barbarian Series, by R.E. Howard 69. The Farseer Trilogy, by Robin Hobb
70. The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
71. The Way Of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson 72. A Journey To The Center Of The Earth, by Jules Verne73. The Legend Of Drizzt Series, by R.A. Salvatore 74. Old Man’s War, by John Scalzi
75. The Diamond Age, by Neil Stephenson
76. Rendezvous With Rama, by Arthur C. Clarke
77. The Kushiel’s Legacy Series, by Jacqueline Carey
78. The Dispossessed, by Ursula K. LeGuin 79. Something Wicked This Way Comes, by Ray Bradbury
80. Wicked, by Gregory Maguire
81. The Malazan Book Of The Fallen Series, by Steven Erikson
82. The Eyre Affair, by Jasper Fforde
83. The Culture Series, by Iain M. Banks
84. The Crystal Cave, by Mary Stewart
85. Anathem, by Neal Stephenson
86. The Codex Alera Series, by Jim Butcher 87. The Book Of The New Sun, by Gene Wolfe 88. The Thrawn Trilogy, by Timothy Zahn
89. The Outlander Series, by Diana Gabaldan 90. The Elric Saga, by Michael Moorcock91. The Illustrated Man, by Ray Bradbury92. Sunshine, by Robin McKinley
93. A Fire Upon The Deep, by Vernor Vinge
94. The Caves Of Steel, by Isaac Asimov
95. The Mars Trilogy, by Kim Stanley Robinson 96. Lucifer’s Hammer, by Larry Niven Jerry Pournelle
97. Doomsday Book, by Connie Willis
98. Perdido Street Station, by China Mieville 99. The Xanth Series, by Piers Anthony
100. The Space Trilogy, by C.S. Lewis

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

So I lived through a SHOCKING earthquake yesterday on the 4th floor of my office building. Impressive.

I went on vacation a couple weeks ago. It was a camping trip, so I had a full truck of Bug Out Bag with me, and I took out the regular BoB before I left. Thing is, I hadn't put it back in the truck...

Yesterday I pounded in a post that was loose and helping prop up a young dogwood tree. I took the 4 pound sledge I use for tent stakes and emergency egress out of my truck to do this chore. Thing is, I hadn't put it back in the truck after...

I was thinking of these things as I went down the stairs to flee our office building. 25 miles from my BoB bag and sledge.

Dammit.

I have corrected this oversight. Now. After the horses have left the barn I closed the barn door.

One of the things I like about this area is we don't get many natural disasters like out west. No mudslides, volcanoes, fires, tsunamis, droughts, earthquakes... The occasional hurricane. Well this week we get a 5.9 tremblor and this weekend the hurricane might pass overhead.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Bad guys shoot at bad guys. Bad guys shoot at good guys and good guys shoot back. Either cops, or citizen good guy.

Have you notice that cops will sometime shoot a bad guy that doesn't need to get shot (oops), or shoot 300 bullets at a bad guy and none of them hit said bad guy?

And when bad guys shoot at other bad guy innocent bystanders seem to catch a bullet with some fredquency?

I find it odd that you rarely hear a story about a cop's profligate use of lead slinging rarely hits uninvolved parties, but it seems you can't open a newspaper without seeing a story of a bad guy's bullet finding the toddler. It just seems like an odd sort of tragedy. I wonder why? At least it seems that way. I rarely see stories about a stray bullet of a cop hitting some kid 3 blocks away from the action.

Oh sure, the bad guys aren't known for their marksmanship or adherence to the 4 Rules. But cops aren't always shining through with stellar feats of accuracy. Perhaps cops are just more atuned to #4 "be aware of your target and what is behind it" and such precautions are of no concern to bad guys. But that doesn't seem right.

More causation could probably point to: bad guys readily shoot their guns more than cops, I think. So more chance of hitting uninvolved parties in various violent disputes.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I remember when Jimmy Carter was attacked by that rabbit. I was made to understand, then, that the President was in a canoe. Turns out that wasn't the case, but I can be excused as they didn't release any pictures, back then, to my knowledge.

It was a dory.

If president Obama get's attacked by something at Martha's Vineyard, I am imagining it will be a horseshoe crab. He'll look silly fending off the prehistoric beastie, but not as bad as Jimmy did. That's my guess.

"My wife has never shot a gun in her life. I want to take her to the pistol range. I don't want her to be scared by something powerful, but I don't want her to fire something incredibly weak so as to disillusion her about the capability of firearms. What's a nice middle ground 'first' gun for her to shoot with."

Wow. Talk about a softball question.

So you want to take the Missus shooting with a minimum of fuss and trauma and a maximum of fun and suchlike. Sounds like you either have a .22 pistol, but don't want that to be the only clown at the rodeo. Well, I recommend two things...

Take her to an outdoor shooting range. The great outdoors is prettier, less claustrophobic, and the sound dissipates better. Especially for a first timer. Less boomy-jumpy echos off the walls. Brighter. You can see grass while you shoot. Unless it is gawdawful hot out it's a more pleasant experience all around.

Second, I recommend taking one of 2 types of guns along. This is the same recommendation and practice that a trainer I took classes with does. When he takes a first timer to the range he doesn't bother with a .22. He brings a full size police type service pistol. Something like a Glock 17 (9mm) or one of the other various plastic glock-types, or a regular .38 revolver. A Smith and Wesson model 10 for example. These shoot Goldilocks loads, the 9mm and .38. Not to hard, not too soft. And out of a full size pistol there is enough mass to make the recoil gentler, too. They aren't weak, by any means, and are a serious round, but they aren't a handful to control, either, and well within the comfort zone of anyone that agrees to go to the range in the first place.

If they ARE too much for the n00bie, well, you can fall back on that .22 and they will still have fun and be comfortable.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

American law originates from British Common Law. Specifically Common Law before we split from them. 1776 and all that. It's where the 2nd Amendment comes from and a right to defend yourself. But after 1776, our jurisprudence system was evolving along its own path.

Britain didn't overturn trial by combat until after we declared independence. No American court has really addressed it. Ergo, trial by combat may still be legitimate under U.S. Law. Thoughts?

Will the Miranda warning change to, "You have the right to speak to an attorney or to request trial by combat."

Friday, August 19, 2011

Michelle Bachman is campaign promising $2 a gallon gas, and National Review is unsure about how she might go about achieving that, even with the vast powers the President of the United States has. Herman Cain's promise of 5% GDP growth is more realistic.

From the post, quote:

The only policies I can think of that would surely accomplish the $2.00 a gallon target are:

1) The seizure by force and nationalized exploitation of a large proportion of the world’s oil supply.2) The massive federal subsidization of fuel costs.3) The fomenting of a second global recession as bad as or worse than the last one, complete with negative global GDP growth.

That would do the trick. Zombies don't destroy drilling and refining facilities, either. Just keep a cadre of skilled workers to operate the plants from getting killed or infected and we're set in the gas price department.

Alternatively, Bachman may be promising '$2 gas' and not '$2 a gallon gas' and is intending to go full Carter on us and make us use the vastly inferior Metric System and sell us $2 a liter gas. Which may be cheaper, I don't know. It's the damn Metric System!

I don't know which is more monstrous, the Zombie outbreak, or "Carter's Folly," the Metric System. The gram, weighs as much as a simple raisin. About as much as a paper clip, now isn't that amazin'! PAH!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

It was written by a guy that lived in hurricane prone eastern coastal areas the past 15 years. So he and his missus got a belly full of power outages. After the first disruption, he and his old lady got really tired of eating peanut butter crackers and drinking wine. When the power was on, they were gourmands. Foodies. They were accustomed to a certain high level of culinary delight. They vowed, never again. They'd be ready for the next power outage. And they were able to test their new menus because Mother Nature obliged with a few more storms in the past 15 years or so.

It's not about surviving the disruption. The book is about thriving, for at least a time, with strategies and menus.

For instance, go through the fresh produce first. The freezer will thaw next, so cook up all that next. Ooo, and have a simple one burner stove independent of the grid. Next up are recipes for a 4 people for 5 days on a mostly canned-heavy larder that fits in one 12 bottle wine box. The author notes that it'd also fit in one of those rubbermaid bins. A second companion bin was required for incidentals, breakfasts, snacks, and most importantly... spices. Hunger makes the best sauce, but I'd rather make sauce-sauce before I get too hungry if I can help it.

The disadvantage? He's a vegetarian, so precious little canned bacon and, my favorite, corned BEEF hints and tips. And since I am a carnivore... it's a book of recipes of stuff that my FOOD eats.

Oh sure, they SAY camera case, but look at the picture that also goes with it.

Yeah... long thin cameras. Loud cameras.

Also useful for air travel if you want to take a rifle. You have to check it in baggage, and be able to lock the firearm in a hard sided case. Voila.

Now the next question... The foam is a 3 layer sandwich. Presumably, you carve a cut out in the middle layer to custom fit it to your rifle. Or you can eschew the middle layer all together if you don't anticipate a lot of jostling. What to do, what to do?

They are a bit spendy, but I got mine on sale for even less than the linked item's price. If I go to Northcoast, I may as well test it out. Ooo, the price was closer to this one.

Anti gun control is still surging in the periodical once known as the MetroCon Fortnightly (MetronCon == otherwise conservatives that grew up in the suburbs or city, where guns are thought about less, so their position is often neutral/ambivalent or hostile to the 2nd A.)

Under Section 1062 oft he Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, the Department of Defense (DoD) shall not prohibit, regulate, or collect or record any information relating to the otherwise lawful ownership of a privately owned firearm or other weapon by a member of the Anned Forces or. DoD civilian employee on property that is not a military installation or DoD property.The law further requires that not later than 90 days after the date of enactment, DoD shall destroy any such existing record. There are exceptions to the new requirements, including: non-applicability in foreign countries; actions related to official duties; law enforcement and adjudication records; and records of fact finding regarding matters indicating a possible past, present, or future violation of law, including matters related to whether a member of the Anned Forces constitutes a threat to self or others. This memorandum is to clarify that this new law does not require changes to ongoing DoD programs and activities regarding suicide prevention, domestic violence, child protection, day care screening, sexual assault response, school counseling, and similar activities; that these matters are within the exceptions in the statute.

Translation: Cut that crap out. No General, it is not your business to know about your troopers' off base guns.

Good for them for trying to keep their heads out of their posteriors. Just because you defend the Constitution does mean the bosses in your Chain of Command get to violate it willy nilly.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Four things greater than all things are
Women and Horses and Power and War.

--

It is always a temptation to an armed and agile nation,
To call upon a neighbor and to say:
"We invaded you last night - we are quite prepared to fight,
Unless you pay us cash to go away."

And that is called asking for Dane-geld,
And the people who ask it explain
That you’ve only to pay ’em the Dane-geld
And then you’ll get rid of the Dane!

It is always a temptation to a rich and lazy nation,
To puff and look important and to say:
"Though we know we should defeat you, we have not the time to meet you.
We will therefore pay you cash to go away."

And that is called paying the Dane-geld;
But we’ve proved it again and again,
That if once you have paid him the Dane-geld
You never get rid of the Dane.

It is wrong to put temptation in the path of any nation,
For fear they should succumb and go astray,
So when you are requested to pay up or be molested,
You will find it better policy to say:

"We never pay any one Dane-geld,
No matter how trifling the cost,
For the end of that game is oppression and shame,
And the nation that plays it is lost!"

--

"Asia is not going to be civilized after the methods of the West. There is too much Asia and she is too old."

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Saturday, August 6, 2011

I am intrigued and want a car or truck that runs on seasoned firewood. This is a WWII era one, but guys are making them and attaching them to their El Camino or F150. Regular internal combustion engine (I'm sure some slight modifications are needed...) but with a different fuel source. The combustibles given off form 'charcoal making.' It'd be a great vehicle to keep at a retreat as a spare to run errands.

Good Advice

"You never select a shotgun as your primary anti-zombie firearm. It's great for onesy twosey, but zombies travel in hordes. The reload time is onerous, and the ammo, while effective, is heavy and bulky and short ranged."

Big Mistake for Her

If Ginsberg had let Scalia put the words "strict scrutiny" in Heller and Hillary said "Gun control is just not going to be a priority for my administration," Hillary would have been elected President.

About Me

Preamble

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.